Iran's Defense Minister Rear-Admiral Ali Shamkhani on Monday took a swipe at United States President George W. Bush, saying the American leader thinks he is a "sheriff" in an "era of cowboys."

"Mr. Bush thinks that the (current) era is an era of cowboys, that the world is a Texan one, and that he is the sheriff," Shamkhani said in the course of an interview with state television, cited by AFP.

"But he should know that our era is not a cowboy era but rather an era of placing the gun back in its holster," the Iranian minister said.

Shamkhani stated his country considered "the exertion of pressure" on other countries to "halt" their "cooperation" with Iran an "illogical and childish measure."

Moreover, he expressed hope that other countries would "exit the world of cowboys" and take "positive steps." (Albawaba.com)